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- Nov 12, 2022, 3:04 PM
- ☁️ 8 °C
- Altitude: 149 m
FranceGrand-EstStrasbourg48°35’8” N 7°45’20” E
Strasbourg
November 12, 2022 in France ⋅ ☁️ 8 °C
Woke up at around 10. It’s very cold today.
We went to get Will a hair cut. He is allowed 2 this trip. We have this set rule of else he would insist he get one every week like he does at home.
We are very good at charades. The French do not like speaking English. The main guy doing his hair did at least speak to ask what he wanted but the hair cut itself was done in silence. Lol
Great value. Only 12€
We went walking and I said I wanted to have a look in the north face store I saw yesterday to have a look at prices for their jackets cause I’m constantly freezing.
Our jackets are just not made for this weather AND I’m loosing feathers everyday 🙄
Walked out with a disgusting expensive but 700 goose fill jacket.
Being warm is important.
We went to 5 guys for lunch. Good food actually.
We then lined up to go into the cathedral. Will wanted to get up early tomorrow to skip the line but line was moving fast so I made him wait 😊
Didn’t take long at all.
Inside isn’t as WOW as outside but still beauuuuuuuutiful. And obviously the roof is very high.
It had an astronomy clock inside which was awesome and we happen to be there at 1pm so we saw the figurines walk around which was cool. Love that it works.
We then went to go up the tower but it was closed for 30m so we went to get a hot drink cause it’s coldddddd.
Another person unhappy to speak English 😆 but our hot chocolates were yum!
So many chihuahuas! It’s the most common dog in Europe so far which I am LOVING.
Love all the dogs in coats. 😍
Went to re line up for the tower but I needed to wee and it suddenly became urgent cause our tour was 20 mins away and goes for 2 hours soooo not going to end well.
Ran around for 15 trying to find a toilet - went back to 5 guys. When washing my hands a man walked in and another man walked out of the other cubicle 🤔🤔
Maybe in the mens room, I don’t know hahah there were no urinals 🤷🏼♀️
Found the tour and to my delights there were at least 30 of us which is great so I’m not obligated to leave a huge tip.
Tour started in front of the cathedral which she talks about for a long while and pointed out some of the statues and talked about them - over 2000 on the cathedral.
She then took us to a square where they use to sell chicken and spices but main purpose was because it’s pretty.
She talked about the street signs. They are in French and Alsatian. Alsastian is local dialect but a German dialect so gets a bit political which she went over later in the tour.
There is a local artist who does pixel designs in street corners often of what you will find on the street. This one was a beer cause of the restaurants.
We then went to a another square type place where she showed us a good example of a building where the ground level is significantly smaller than the first and second floor and all the building lean on each other to keep balance.
This is because you were charged tax on how big your ground level space was and only ground.
People avoiding taxes since the dawn of time 😆😆
Walked us to a building that is a school- they speak 6 languages there 🥴🥴 she said it is referred to as Strasbourg’s Hogwarts - local artist had added a Hufflepuff symbol. Walked along a river thing past lovely buildings and into an area where all buildings looked like train stations and big banks.
She said 90% of the time if a building is Pink based the French built it.
If it is grey, the Germans built it.
We then had our history lesson.
Basically is someone was born in 1860 and died 1950 in their live they saw 3 wars and changed nationalities 4 times.
She drew a G (German) and F (French) on the floor and a line in the floor then started history and made us move over to the other side each time it changed countries from political power plays and wars.
She explained why Alsatian is so important to them. They clung to it as they change. Whether French Alsatian or German Alsatian they were always Alsatian.
We saw a war memorial and she pointed to a mother holding 2 naked dead sons and they are naked on purpose. They are not clothed because it does not matter who they fought for or what side as they had no choice. The memorial is for the dead not dead French or dead German. Each son fought for a different side and both a dead.
We were FREEZING both of us. Partly regretting my jacket purchase at this time but also holding onto hope it was because I had no beanie or under layers.
She showed us a statue with 2 faces which represent Strasbourgs past which I liked. Then into another area where she made a big point that we must know the French national anthem was written in Strasbourg and told the history of why it’s called la Marseillaise and not la Strasbourg lol.
(First heard sung by people from Marseilles)
Into another square. Statue in the middle of dude who won some fights for napoleon. Hard to hear he but some of his body is under that statue.
Back to the cathedral where she showed us this pole. If you worked for the city you had to be able to squeeze between the pole. If you were too fat to fit you would be viewed as being selfish and not giving enough to the people.
As Donald trump said
“You’re fired”.
Didn’t take a pic cause huuuuuge vomit there hahah.
Gave her 5€ cause everyone tipped her good so she will do well for herself. She was a good guide, city itself missing excitement - The history lesson was good though.
Went home and had hot showers. Amazing.
Added more layers then eventually headed out to one of the places recommended to us by the guide.
Added a thermal and beanie and doing much better. Still put out that I’m cold as in theory it’s only 6° and is going to get drastically more cold but maybe if I wear proper pants? I don’t think my torso is cold?
Greatest butternut squash soup omg.
Will doesn’t know what he had. I don’t know either. Looked interesting. Chicken, mushroom and …something... probably best we don’t know.
Went to the supermarket and I found some fruit 😭 and found some cherry tomatoes which you didnt buy in a box but spooned into brown bag like mushrooms which I loved. Only €1
Back at hotel.
*update got a pic tomorrow of the belly measure pole. Have added picture to todays journal.Read more
